In their book “Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School” Hargreaves and Fullan, believe we are at a crossroads in education reform that requires leadership to invest in developing the capabilities or ‘professional capital’ of teachers as individuals, as teams and as a profession.
This book is available to borrow from the Learning Exchange email lex@parra.catholic.edu.au.
On Friday 21 September 2012, educational expert and author, Professor Andy
Hargreaves delivered the 2012 Parramatta Dicoese Catholic Education Ann D Clark Lecture to
over 300 educators on education leadership; what works in school
improvement; investing in the teaching profession; and building teacher
capacity to improve learning outcomes for students. Read more at 'Hargreaves asks do we want our teachers to be maestros or enthusiasts'.
Greg Whitby, Executive Director of Schools, Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta also expands on this premise of focusing on building teachers capabilities on his post on Bluyonder 'Building Professional Capital'
For further reading on Fullan and Hargreaves work on Professional Capital see Reviving Teaching with 'Professional Capital' M. Fullan and A. Hargreaves in Education Weekly, 2012
Available from Michael Fullan's website 2012 Articles.
See Hargreaves work also at his website Andy Hargreaves.com.
Another useful resource that explore this issue:
The Missing Link in School Reform
By Carrie, R Leana, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Fall 2011,
In trying to improve American public schools, educators, policymakers,
and philanthropists are overselling the role of the highly skilled
individual teacher and undervaluing the benefits that come from teacher
collaborations that strengthen skills, competence,
and a school's overall social capital.
On Thursday 5th July, 50 participants attended a Teacher Librarian Meetup at the Children's Bookshop Beecroft.
Organised by Julie Walter from Our Lady of the Rosary Kellyville, it was a very popular day.
Topics shared were:
QR codes Augmented reality Childrens Book council Award events Discipline ideas National Simultaneous Storytime events
Library Makeover ideas
A key session was Paul MacDonalds 'Shortlisted Books and Trends'
Participants shared ideas, raised questions, networked and then had time to enjoy lunch and browse the wonderful Children's Bookshop.
In this National Year of Reading 2012, our schools celebrated National Simultaneous Storytime by sharing a Readers Theatre Presentation of the picture
book, "The Very Cranky Bear" by Nick Bland.
On Wednesday 23rd May a
group of teachers from Good Shepherd Primary School, Plumpton
presented a Readers Theatre version of the book.
Their performance was
streamed live via video link on LEXTV, bringing delight to many excited
audiences in our K-2 classrooms across the Diocese.
Educators worldwide recognise the needs for students to be active participants in the highly connected world in which we live. The use of social and mobile technologies to communicate, connect, collaborate and learn are now a standard part of the lives of our community. However, schools are grappling with how to balance this with the concerns from the school and its community over possible issues around online bullying, security and distraction of students in using this media.
A few resources for our schools to help utilise social media effectively:
Books
Available from the Learning Exchange Library.
Communicating and Connecting with Social Media,
by William M Ferriter, Jason Ramsden, Eric Sheninger
Bloomington IN: Solution Tree Press, 2011
Blogs, Wikis, Podcast and other powerful Web tools for classrooms.
by Will Richardson, California: Corwin press, 2006
Our strategic focus at Catholic Education Parramatta in 2012 is 'Learning by Inquiring'. To help guide us in this focus we will be using Douglas Reeves book 'The Learning Leader' Douglas Reeves, author of The Learning Leader says ‘the best analytical leaders are not masters of answers but rather persistent questioners.’ Learning Exchange has access to both the print and eBook version of Learning Leader as well as many other articles written by Douglas Reeves.
The Learning Leader: How to focus School Improvement for Better Results.
This book introduces the Leadership for Learning Framework, which gives readers a tool for measuring and understanding how their own actions influence student achievement.
Staff and teachers at Catholic Education Parramatta can access an electronic copy of 'The Learning Leader' book via our Ebook library. This can be be viewed online or downloaded to your Desktop. Or you can download it your iPad via the Blue Fire reader app. Scan the QR code on the left to take you to the Ebook Library version. (You will be prompted to login to Staffnet.) Use your smart phone QR code reader to read the QR code pictured adjacent. Try Qrafter for iOPad or ScanMee for iPhones or use Google to locate other QR code readers for other smartphones. Many smartphones come with their own QR code reader/scanner.
Print Version Available for loan from Learning Exchange
Other resources authored by Douglas Reeves Ebooks from the Ebook Library via Staffnet
In their groundbreaking book, Renewal Coaching, Douglas Reeves and Elle Allison offered coaches, managers, teachers, and consultants a research-based, sustainable approach...
Providing real-life examples of leaders who have successfully met the challenge of change, distinguished author and researcher Douglas B. Reeves shows educational leaders how they can create the conditions...
School improvement expert Douglas B. Reeves proposes a new framework to promote effective and lasting change through teacher leadership and action research.
Articles
(Contact Learning Exchange for access to the following articles)
Leadership for Student Empowerment. By: Reeves, Douglas B.. Educational Leadership, Nov2008, Vol. 66 Issue 3, p84-85, 2p The article discusses how school superintendent Sheldon Berman increased self-efficacy of students in the Hudson Public School district in Massachusetts and the Jefferson County Public School district in Kentucky. The author discusses a service learning program Berman implemented in the Hudson Public School district that requires students participate in community service and encourages student involvement in school management and decision making. He discusses the adaptation of the program to urban schools in the Jefferson County Public School district and the use of inquiry-based mathematics instruction, reading interventions and a different history curriculum.
Challenging Inequity, Insisting on Excellence. By: Reeves, Douglas B.. Educational Leadership, Oct2008, Vol. 66 Issue 2, p85-86, 2p The article discusses conflicting methods of reducing achievement gaps for students of different races and socioeconomic contexts. The author notes an method supported by the Efficacy Institute, an educational organization, that emphasizes high educational standards for all students, the promotion of motivation and self-efficacy in students and curriculum reform based on student feedback.
CRAFTING Strategic Plans. By: Butler, Kevin. District Administration, Mar2008, Vol. 44 Issue 4, p36-41, 6p, 2 Color Photographs, 1 Illustration The article offers information on the key principles to enhance K12 leadership at school districts in the U.S. Douglas Reeves, founder of the Leadership and Learning Center in Colorado, mentioned some simple principles that can help K12 leaders be more effective in creating and communicating objectives to staff and improving accountability. Reeves added that teachers and staff bring about change by seeing and buying into benefits of new initiatives.
Accountability at a crossroads. By: Reeves, Douglas B.. Leadership, Nov/Dec2004, Vol. 34 Issue 2, p12-37, 6p Abstract: Argues that the United States needs school leaders who will make accountability decisions that are grounded in research, not popularity. Effective leaders as architects of the boundaries; Motivation of students by choice and empowerment; Legitimate criticisms of standards; Building on strengths; Searching for strengths; Drawing meaningful influences; Adoption versus implementation.
Video resources Educational Leadership with Dr Douglas Reeves (interview by Kris Needham 4:45 mins) Discussion around relationships betweens School leaders action and student outcomes
The Learning Exchange provides access to a wide range of high quality resources and programs developed to support innovation and teacher learning in today’s world. Visit the Learning Exchange Website
All articles and books reviewed on the blog are available from the Learning Exchange at the Aengus Kavanagh Education and Equity Centre Mt Druitt. You can contact Learning Exchange via: Phone: 9677 4340 Fax: 9675 7017 or Email: lex@parra.catholic.edu.au
Greg Whitby, Executive Director of Schools, Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta also expands on this premise of focusing on building teachers capabilities on his post on Bluyonder 'Building Professional Capital' 
